Russia’s military announced on Tuesday that it would respond to Ukraine’s recent attacks on Russian territories, which included the launch of six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles, six UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles, and one of the largest drone assaults to date.

Following Ukraine’s initial use of ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles against Russia last year, Moscow retaliated on November 21 by deploying a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile called “Oreshnik,” or Hazel Tree, targeting Ukraine.

The Russian defense ministry reported that it successfully intercepted all Western missiles aimed at the Bryansk region, along with 146 drones outside the active conflict zone. Additionally, two Storm Shadow missiles were reportedly downed over the Black Sea.

“The actions of the Kyiv regime, backed by its Western allies, will not go unanswered,” stated the defense ministry.

The Ukrainian General Staff indicated that its strikes reached as far as 1,100 km (680 miles) into Russian territory, targeting oil storage facilities, refineries, chemical plants, and ammunition depots in the Bryansk, Saratov, Tula, and Tatarstan regions.

While Kyiv did not disclose the specific methods used for these strikes, it confirmed that both drone and missile units participated in the operation.

In November, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that the conflict in Ukraine was escalating towards a global confrontation, particularly after the U.S. and Britain permitted Ukraine to launch missiles deep into Russian territory.

President-elect Donald Trump has advocated for a ceasefire and swift negotiations to resolve the conflict, raising questions about the future of Washington’s support for Ukraine.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has resulted in tens of thousands of fatalities, displaced millions, and initiated the most significant deterioration in relations between Moscow and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

DRONES ATTACK

The recent drone assault on Russia marks one of the largest to date. Roman Busargin, the governor of the Saratov region, located approximately 720 km (450 miles) southeast of Moscow, reported that the cities of Saratov and Engels, situated on opposite sides of the Volga River, experienced a coordinated drone strike that caused damage to two industrial facilities. As a result, schools in the area have transitioned to remote learning.

Last week, Ukraine targeted the same region, claiming to have hit an oil depot that supports a Russian airbase housing nuclear bombers, which ignited a massive fire that took five days to extinguish. The Ukrainian General Staff indicated that the Kristall Plant oil storage facility in Engels was struck as part of an operation conducted by Ukrainian drone units and military intelligence. Additionally, they reported an attack on the Bryansk Chemical Plant, which is known to produce ammunition for artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, aviation, engineering munitions, and components for cruise missiles.

The drone strike also targeted a munitions storage site containing guided bombs and missiles at the Engels airbase in the Saratov region, along with other locations, according to a source from the Security Service of Ukraine. The General Staff noted that the assaults on the Saratov Oil Refinery and the Kazanorgsintez plant resulted in fires.